i3 Academy Elementary and i3 Middle School have been designated as Apple Distinguished Schools
Recognized for innovation, leadership, and educational excellence using technology
October 16, 2025 — i3 Academy is pleased to announce that i3 Academy Elementary School and i3 Academy Middle School have been recognized as Apple Distinguished Schools for the 2025-2028 program term. Schools apply and are selected for this distinction based on their commitment to continuous innovation in education and using Apple products to inspire, imagine, and impact teaching and learning. Apple Distinguished Schools are centers of leadership and educational excellence, with a clear vision for how technology-rich environments support learning goals. In Apple Distinguished Schools, forward-thinking leaders and their communities work to inspire, imagine, and impact teaching and learning, and they have documented results of academic accomplishments.
Schools all over the world are using iPad and Mac to transform learning. As teachers incorporate technology into their lessons, they empower students to lead, learn, and thrive, to discover new opportunities, and to make their world a better place.
Upon receiving this news Dr. Martin Nalls, head of schools, stated: "The Apple Distinguished School Award is another tangible recognition of the work of the incredible work of the educators at i3 Academy. We are very proud to be the first charter schools in Alabama to receive this award.
Our journey with Apple began when we opened our doors in the Fall of 2020. After a significant amount of research and giving consideration to all of our options for student and teacher devices, we decided to provide our students and teachers with Apple devices. Apple exceeded our expectations in every way. Schools that purchase other devices faced significant supply chain issues, but we had all of our devices in the hands of our students and teachers from day one. Those devices were an incredible resource for our students and teachers during the pandemic and continue to be a great resource for us today.
As we celebrate this incredible accomplishment, we will continue to empower our students to be agents of change to solve the problems they see in their world, and we look forward to continuing our amazing partnership with Apple to power our mission.”
Director of Technology Krystal Wright added, “I am thrilled about the recognition of our innovative work in leveraging cutting-edge technology to equip our students with essential skills using Apple products. This award is not merely a milestone; it stands as a testament to the relentless efforts we’ve put forth and the continuous learning our educators embrace to empower our students. We are committed to not settling for the bare minimum; instead, we continue to break the mold and redefine excellence in education!”
A ceremony celebrating this milestone will be held during the Woodlawn Fall Festival on Tuesday, October 21st at 4:30pm in the i3 Elementary gym (230 49th St. N. Birmingham, AL 35212.
